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Working mom in need of help :/

Hi all, so I have been exclusively breastfeeding my beautiful daughter who is now 6 months old. I recently started her on solids and she is doing great! She has been eating one meal in the evening, but today i started her on two solid meals a day.
I have been pumping at work usually 2 or 3 times a day. However, my problem is that I'm having a hard time pumping on time at work due to my rigorous schedule. In turn, my milk supply has dropped tremendously (at least with the pump). I used to pump about 8 ounces and now i only pump about 3 ounces every 3 to 4 hours. Needless to say, my milk storage has diminished almost entirely. I am very emotional about this topic because I feel i am at a breaking point where I may have to quit breastfeeding in general. I don't want to give up on my daughter and i would love to continue breastfeeding, but pumping is just too hard at my job. The conclusion I have thought about is to possibly give my daughter formula while i am at work and breastfeed her at night, mornings, sometimes at lunch time, and on the weekends. However, i'm not sure if this is possible if i stop pumping??
Also, I had mastitis in the beginning stages of breastfeeding and I am so paranoid about getting it again if i stop pumping.
It would be awesome if someone could help me better understand if there is a way to breastfeed without pumping, even if it means introducing formula for one or two feedings a day. Also, if any of you know what formula is best for babies who also breastfed?
I appreciate your help in advance. Thank you so much and i look forward to hearing from you all!

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

I hope you are able to find time to pump while at work even though your schedule is rigorous.
if you are able to nurse her a lot at night, at lunch and on the weekends you might be able to keep up with her needs even though you don't pump while at work.
I too would be concerned about finding your self overly full and uncomfortable on a Monday after spending the weekend nursing and rebooting your milk supply.

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

There are moms on here who have done just what you are suggesting. You do not need to give up breastfeeding.

However if we could we would love to brainstorm with you about pumping. There are certainly jobs where it is almost impossible or totally impossible practically speaking to pump but often there are ways around it. Especially now that most women (you are in the us?) Have the right to pump protected by law. Can you tell us a little more about your job and the difficulties you are having? And would it be possible to pump while driving to and from work (this totally does not work for every one I travelled transit for example but would not have felt like I could have concentrated with driving either).

proud but exhausted working mammy to two high needs babies

my surprise baby: the one and only D-Man born 3 weeks late (5/5/08) at 9 lbs 14 oz and 21.5 inches, and

the shock H-Girl born about a week late (10/7/09) at 8lbs 15oz and 20.75 inches.

If I am here I am covered in baby (probably two) and fighting for control of the keyboard.

Family beds are awesome

Wondering if you have PPD? Take the screening and see your doctor. You deserve to feel better.

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

With DS, I was a surgery resident. My time was not my own and if I was doing a long OR case I just couldn't take a break to pump at that time (I'd pump immediately after, and before, but I could never stick to a schedule). Consequently, my pumping output went down around 8 months. I went through a lot of guilt about it, but my solution was to still pump as much as I could (3-4x in 12 hours, depending on what was going on that day), supplement the rest with formula and breast feed at night and on weekends.

If you stop pumping at this phase, you will probably have low supply at home too at 6 months, and this may end your nursing relationship earlier than you want. But if you pump as much as you can at work (or as is practical), let go of the actual volume you make, and then nurse a lot at home and on weekends, you can probably breast feed for as long as you and your child want.

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

Thank you all. I am a therapist for children in foster care so I am constantly in and out of therapy sessions and in between working on plenty of paperwork. My job is very supportive of my pumping needs. I guess I have a growing frustration due to the little amount that I pump. My job is already a bit stressful and I feel that I stress so much more always having in the back of my head that I have to go pump. I do it of course because I love and want the best for my daughter. Also the thing is that my parents babysit her on the weekends some times, and for example my husband and I are going on a short weekend vacation for our anniversary and I know I don't have the milk supply to leave her. And I can't seem to catch up with the pumping sessions I currently have :/ I think what I will do is continue to pump as often as I can at work, breastfeed when I'm with my princess, but stop thinking that I'm "super woman" and give in to a little formula when needed. Hopefully it won't be too many bottles of formula!

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

I have sympathy for you but I'm going to be honest and tell you that I think your plan is a slippery slope to a very diminished supply. I guess I'd ask you to really commit to pumping 3 x per day. 3 oz per session is pretty normal actually, at first you had an oversupply and just now your body is regulating itself to normal and what baby needs. How much is she taking while away from you? You really want to be careful that the caregiver is not over feeding. I'd also add one or two sessions pumping while commuting to work. I did this for 2 years with a pumping bra and nursing cover. Believe me I have a stressful job as well, but you CAN do this, you just have to commit to doing it, make it the priority. I also pumped all the time doing high level, high concentration paperwork, again with a hands free pumping bra and nursing cover.

Are you planning on pumping 10-12x per day on your vacation away from baby?

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

Originally Posted by @llli*blue2000

If you stop pumping at this phase, you will probably have low supply at home too at 6 months, and this may end your nursing relationship earlier than you want. But if you pump as much as you can at work (or as is practical), let go of the actual volume you make, and then nurse a lot at home and on weekends, you can probably breast feed for as long as you and your child want.

I agree with this as an alternative to quitting pumping altogether. Try not to stress about it, but do it as often as you can. For your own comfort and to keep your supply up. Most moms experience a drop in pumping output around 8-9 months. If you try to keep it up as much as possible now you can cope with that drop later on with less difficulty.

I'd actually suggest you avoid being away from your baby too much when you aren't at work. For me, it was very important to nurse nurse nurse as much as possible when we were together. I pumped at work (though my output was low) and supplemented with formula, but I coslept, nursed frequently at night, and didn't leave her very often outside of work and I honestly believe that is what kept my supply sufficient to continue nursing her. And remember, around a year old you can pump wean completely during the day and not worry about losing your supply when you are with her. Right now, there is the danger that completely pump weaning during the day could drop your supply to the point that it is insufficient. Women for whom this is successful typically nurse frequently when they are with their baby and don't leave them for long periods of time when they aren't at work.

I also agree with Jenna that you should make sure your caregiver isn't overfeeding the baby. Here's a great link you can share with whomever is bottlefeeding your baby.

“We are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. If you are there always for others, then in time of need, someone will be there for you.”
--Anonymous

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

Originally Posted by @llli*jenna562

I have sympathy for you but I'm going to be honest and tell you that I think your plan is a slippery slope to a very diminished supply. I guess I'd ask you to really commit to pumping 3 x per day. 3 oz per session is pretty normal actually, at first you had an oversupply and just now your body is regulating itself to normal and what baby needs. How much is she taking while away from you? You really want to be careful that the caregiver is not over feeding. I'd also add one or two sessions pumping while commuting to work. I did this for 2 years with a pumping bra and nursing cover. Believe me I have a stressful job as well, but you CAN do this, you just have to commit to doing it, make it the priority. I also pumped all the time doing high level, high concentration paperwork, again with a hands free pumping bra and nursing cover.

Are you planning on pumping 10-12x per day on your vacation away from baby?

Originally Posted by @llli*still.here

I agree with this as an alternative to quitting pumping altogether. Try not to stress about it, but do it as often as you can. For your own comfort and to keep your supply up. Most moms experience a drop in pumping output around 8-9 months. If you try to keep it up as much as possible now you can cope with that drop later on with less difficulty.

I'd actually suggest you avoid being away from your baby too much when you aren't at work. For me, it was very important to nurse nurse nurse as much as possible when we were together. I pumped at work (though my output was low) and supplemented with formula, but I coslept, nursed frequently at night, and didn't leave her very often outside of work and I honestly believe that is what kept my supply sufficient to continue nursing her. And remember, around a year old you can pump wean completely during the day and not worry about losing your supply when you are with her. Right now, there is the danger that completely pump weaning during the day could drop your supply to the point that it is insufficient. Women for whom this is successful typically nurse frequently when they are with their baby and don't leave them for long periods of time when they aren't at work.

I also agree with Jenna that you should make sure your caregiver isn't overfeeding the baby. Here's a great link you can share with whomever is bottlefeeding your baby.

Both of these ladies know what they are talking about and have given you great advice... IME if you stop pumping, and attempt the plan you outlined in your OP you will end your nursing relationship sooner rather than later....

pump as much as you can
nurse as much as you can
spend as much time as you can with your lo

.... and if you have to supplement do it and have no regrets because you continued to provide for her...

Re: Working mom in need of help :/

Excellent, excellent, excellent information posted above.

Do you have a hands free bra? If not, I highly recommend one (although I just jerry-rigged something for myself). Can you pump while you do your paperwork? I did a lot of pumping while I worked on other things, and for me there was less stress this way because everything was getting done and my output was better when I was thinking other things rather than pumping. I also think the suggestion about pumping in the car is a great one. With a hands free bra and a nursing cover, there's really nothing to it.